This snuff bottle community forum is dedicated to the novice, more experienced, and expert collectors. Topics are intended to cover all aspects and types of bottle collecting. To include trials, tribulations, evaluating, identifying, researching, appraisals, and much more.

Among other things, donations help keep the forum free from Google type advertisements, and also make it possible to purchases additional photo hosting MB space.

You are right about those four miniature bottles in the Blair book. I couldn't remember that they were porcelain - it was the small size that made me think of them. The one you have posted here is a much better match! With a little polishing, yours could look even better.

Tom - the book also has a picture of a melon that is similar, so it looks like it was a fruit theme. It also says there are very few recorded glass bottles in this shape, which was usually carved in nephrite. It goes on to say that although both glass and nephrite examples may have come from the same workshop. the known glass examples have a flattened base, enabling them to stand, whereas all the nephrite examples taper naturally to a point.

Mind has the flattened base.

But if you look closely it's an opaque white bottle that is very finely painted, and that's a big difference with mine. Mine appears to be the same material throughout.

It references Hugh Moss Chinese Snuff Bottles number 235 and Snuff Bottles in the Collection of the National Place Museum No. 115 and No. 112 so I would very much like to see those examples. I don't have the books yet, but will have to get them!

Dear Charll,that bottle from Liveauctioneer is clearly glass, look at the picture of the base. Note that they are selling it as Tourmaline! Dear Cathy, I am convinced that you bottle too is glass. Can you post a picture of the base? It is glass because of the color, and also it seems to me to see round swirls around the mouth, but that can be the picture.Dear Tom, is it correct to polish it? I would not polish it if it were mine, it will take away the signs of the time.Kind regardsGiovanni

As for polishing, that is a matter of personal taste. I cannot say if it is correct or not. The important thing is not to damage the item with abrasive or chemical polishing materials. A clean soft cloth is often all that is needed.

I knew this bottle to be glass just from looking at the base as you described. As indicated by the comments, this one definitely appears to have some age, and I was just providing the post as a comparison for Cathy's benefit.

Hahahaha I had already spotted that bottle and had come to the same conclusion. The one on Live Auctioneers is glass or crystal. Huge difference! If people think they are paying for tourmaline that bottle will go for a very high price - when it is definitely not tourmaline!

I am convinced now that mine is crystal. I just took a picture of the base and am attaching it. The glass pulling from the base is not as evident on mine, but I think it's still there.

Dear Charll,Please apologize, I did not understand correctly your second sentence after the link. I stuck on the first sentence, “here is a similar bottle” when the bottle, at that stage, was thought to be mineral by many. Dear Cathy, your picture is out of focus, if there are swirl glass there, it is not possible to see them.Kind regardsGiovanni

Dear Cathy, thank you. Poor picture, but with a great detail: the nice old concave base. You did not mention this detail up to now, if I am not wrong. Dear Cathy, remember that the base is absolutely one of the most important detail in judging a bottle, it is always important to show it.Kind regardsGiovanni

I don't understand. What do you mean by 'crystal'? As in, "I am convinced now that mine is crystal."?If it is quartz (and it's not), it isn't glass. If it is lead crystal, it is not old. Actually, if it is lead crystal, I don't know WHEN it was made.

My thought is that it is weighted glass, and probably ca.1830-1930. I know this is a wide range of dates, but I can see it as Daoguang period, and I can equally see it as Republic. And anywhere in between.

Oh, and I agree with Giovanni. The foot/base and mouth/neck are very important and can contain clues helping us to decide on a bottle's period.

By crystal - I meant weighted glass. I guess I need to go look up the difference.

As you know, I don't know what I'm doing yet, and this bottle is a curiosity. I "think" it's glass imitating stone, but I can find no air bubbles and the specific gravity puts it in the quartz, beryl family. Plus the texture is so much like stone, I am constantly second guessing it.

But the similarity of my bottle to the one that has just shown up on live auctioneers makes me now feel certain it must be glass because the pull marks on the bottom are so evident on that one.

You need to pay attention to terms, be more careful in using them, and not throw around those you don't understand.'Crystal' is glass with a certain percentage of lead ('Lead Crystal'), usually 20%-35%. 'Weighted glass' is weighted glass.Please don't 'inflate' your descriptions. It just makes them less believable, and seems 'unserious'. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to be serious. Best,Joey

By crystal - I meant weighted glass. I guess I need to go look up the difference.

As you know, I don't know what I'm doing yet, and this bottle is a curiosity. I "think" it's glass imitating stone, but I can find no air bubbles and the specific gravity puts it in the quartz, beryl family. Plus the texture is so much like stone, I am constantly second guessing it.

But the similarity of my bottle to the one that has just shown up on live auctioneers makes me now feel certain it must be glass because the pull marks on the bottom are so evident on that one.

We enjoy sharing real knowledge, and find it 'fun'. There is also a Joke thread, or there was, for 'Levity'.Re.bottles, you are right. We take them very seriously. When I'm not sure of a term, I 'google' it first (or use another way to check it is accurate and relevant), and then decide whether to use it. But yes, you are doing much better. Kudos. BAZINGA! (A reference to "Big Bang Theory" Sheldon Cooper) Best,Joey